Railway-torpedo.



F. DUTCHBR. RAILWAY TORPBDO. APPLICATION BILBD MAY 1,1909.

938,465, J Patented Nov. 2,'1'9091 lnvanbaz verse sectional 'percepisce vraisaanrms, rsiritsvzevaisia.

I,milicewirrvr@naare. y

essaies.

apparaisse aies tray-r, ieee. semi in. assess,

To all` wh m itfmay concern: v .Be it known that I, FR.\NK'BfCL ii,-'a citizen of the United Sta-tes, residingat Versailles, in the county ofiAlleglieny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented' .certain ,new and useful Improvements in :Railwayl'lor: pedoes, ofwhich the' following isa specilication, reference being had therein-to the ad companying drawing. 1 'v .This invention relates toviinprovements in 4ailivay torpedoes, and comprises torpedo E Jflllng H11 an inner explosive carrying member which consists of plaster of paris or other substance having characteristics to eect the purpose hereinafter set forth.

The primary object ofthe' present invention is to construct a torpedoso thatwhen it .explodes the. members carrying the explosive mixture 'are of such material that theyl will 'iiot-iiy in a manner to injure any one, and to make a water-proof construction.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a torpedo embodying my improvement, showing it at-y tached to a railroad rail. Fig. 2 is atransview of the same. F ig. 3' is a perspective view of the inclosing case and the explosive carrying members showing f them detached. F ig. 4 is an inverted per spective view of the explosive carrying inember. Fig. 5 is adetached perspective view of the explosive tablet.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 is a This tubular open-ended outer brous case. case, as shown, preferably has a round top 2, and. a fiat base 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. An explosive carrying member el, is made of plaster of paris, or of any material which has the porous and light characteristics of plaster of paris, so that when the torpedo ex' plodes the member will be practically. re-

duced to a powder or so small and light that y it would not inflict injury to persons who might happen to be in the path thereof. L As shown this member 4 is approximately right angular in plan view ad has in its top face recess 5, in which the explosive mixture 6 is placed. The opposite face or bottom of the member 4 is provided with a strap receiving groove 7, which extends in a direction longitudinally of the outer tube 1, and the rail-engaging strap 8, is located therein with its ends extending' to engage t-he tread of the rail 9, as shown in Fig. 1. The inclosing case 2,

the iiiclosing t'ube 1, so that l 4 tl'ierein', it will be readily centrally position'ed outer fibrous inclosin-g case, andI .the member 4,'

case 1, as shownat 141-,

able granular` is treated to. awaterprcoing `compound :in an wellllinownfway, and, to

further protect t 'and water a water-proof dislflO is l1 of the' base' of the length, or approximately the-lengthlof in respectto the iiiclosing tube or case.- i

shown, and a suitable watenpifnof lliiig 13 explosive irr'iiii darnpness vplacediii the recess 5, on .top of the explosive i'iiixtiiriel when placed Patented.. 2951; y

the member-.4' is" to beef poclnit's at'the end of the' mclosing case to receive a waterproof filling,- `for: closing the ends thereof, theeiids 12, oli" are tapered inwardly stroma ithe face 11 of thebase of theinember e, as

is placed in the pockets formed thereby and I tightly closes theends-oi' the inclosing case. Preferably this waterproof compound is spread or extends over the ends oi. the outer and thus protects the ends of the material formed. The water-proof compound preterably extends or spreads around the rail-ene gaging strap' 8, asshown atithus serving to cement or hold 4 the strap position against endwise movement.

To prevent the torpedo slipping on the tread of the rail 9,*when struck by the wheel of the engine, it may be provided with a suit- Coating 16. l

The explosive mixture 6, is preferably irst cast int-o tablets which will fit in the` recesses 5, though it may be placed therein when in plastic forni7 or may be placed there/in inthe 4 concerned.

Having thus described my invention, what I .claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An improved railway' torpedo comprisf ling van openended tubular inclosing case, 'an inner member therefor, having an explosive receiving recess, zin-:explosive in the recess,

oit which the case is4 and a water-proof closure for the endspf the inclosing-case. l 2. An improved railway torpedo comprising a fibrous open ended tubular inclosing case,v an explosive recei-vin member within the case consisting of a su stance light and porous as plaster of paris, and a water-proof closure for the ends of the inclosing case.

3. An improved railway torpedo compris- .ing a tubular open. ended brous inclosing case, an ex mg an exp oslve mlxture ,ing a fibrous open ende- 'Within the case havin losive receiving member containlaced within the case -and` -havin d en ds to form pocketsat the e'n a water-proof, compound 'Within the said pockets. v 4. Animproved railwa torpedocompris-j tubular inclsing case, an approximately rectangular member an explosive receiving recess with a' close bottomvand sides and open top, an explosive therein, and a water. proof inclosure for the ends of the inclosng case.

5. An improved railwa ing a'brous open. ende tapere torpedo compristubular inclosing case, anapproxlm'ately rectangular member Within the'case having an explosive receiving recess with a yclosed bottom and sldes and an open top, an explcslve mixture 1n the recess,

a disk closing theopening of side of the. explosive mixture, and a. Waterends, an explosive i proof filling l for the -ends of the inclosingul .case. Y 1

6, Anl improved rilw' torpedo comprising a fibrous open end case, a member within the case having an exstrapreceivin groove at the opposite side, a strap within t' 'e groove and having extended water-.proof closure for the ends ofthe inende tub'ular inclosmg within the recess and va.'

. 'plosive receiving recess f5; one side .and 'e A closinlgncase.' 7.- improved railwa vtorpedocompris-l y 4 v`ing ,af fibrous; Open' case, atable't of'explosivemixture within the 'lcase,fand a -vvaterproof closure for the ends ofthe case.l f

In vtestimony whereofl I affixl my signature witnesses.

FRANK DUTCHER.

Witnesses:

. H. R'PRICE, S. .I. PRICE.

in presence of two 2'5 tubular inclosing 

